sift

American  

[sift] / sɪft /

verb (used with object)

1. to separate and retain the coarse parts of (flour, ashes, etc.) with a sieve.

2. to scatter or sprinkle through or by means of a sieve.

   to sift sugar onto cake.

3. to separate by or as if by a sieve.

4. to examine closely.

   The detectives are still sifting the evidence.

   Synonyms:

   probe, search, inspect, scrutinize, sort

5. to question closely.

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verb (used without object)

1. to sift something.

2. to pass or fall through or as if through a sieve.

sift British  

/ sɪft /

verb

1. (tr) to sieve (sand, flour, etc) in order to remove the coarser particles

2. to scatter (something) over a surface through a sieve

3. (tr) to separate with or as if with a sieve; distinguish between

4. (tr) to examine minutely

   to sift evidence

5. (intr) to move as if through a sieve

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Other Word Forms

• outsift verb (used with object)
• presift verb (used with object)
• resift verb (used with object)
• sifter noun
• unsifted adjective

Etymology

Origin of sift

before 900; Middle English siften, Old English siftan; cognate with Dutch, Middle Low German siften; akin to sieve

Example Sentences

Therapy, alongside lots of "painful" conversations with her daughter, has helped them to start sifting through their "family messiness and complexity".

From BBC

The Colonel’s at his desk, sifting through a pile of papers, putting some into a red box.

From Literature

The final step, sifting, is the least glamorous but perhaps the most consequential: refining what has been unearthed.

From The Wall Street Journal

Across the U.S., retail employees have been sifting through state-issued flow charts, scanning product bar codes and checking ingredient lists across thousands of goods in stores.

From The Wall Street Journal

How am I supposed to sift through all of this?

From Literature

Related Words

• analyze
• comb
• delve into
• drain
• evaluate
• examine
• explore
• filter
• go through
• investigate
• pore over
• scrutinize
• winnow